The development of light emitting diodes (LEDs) has provided a dramatic improvement in the availability of low-cost, efficient illumination sources. Such low-cost illumination sources have made possible which would otherwise be significantly larger of substantially increased in cost and power consumption. The power required to provide illumination using LEDs is dramatically reduced from that provided by other typical illumination devices such as incandescent lights or the like.
In addition to their advantages of lower cost and lower power requirements, LEDs also enjoy substantial advantages in their rapid response in transitioning between on and off states. Unlike incandescent lamps or the like which have a relatively slow transition time between illumination and non-illumination, LEDs are substantially more rapid in transition then can be perceived by the human eye. Thus, LEDs appear to the observer to be instantly switched on or off.
A still further advantage found in LEDs is their compatibility with digital electronic control circuits. One of the more interesting applications of LEDs as illumination devices is found in the art generally referred to as “color blending”. This art derives its general name from the capability of differently colored light emitting diodes being used to provide resulting colors which are combinations or “blends” of the individual LEDs in the group. Perhaps the common form of color blending using LEDs arises in systems which utilize one or more LEDs of each of the three primary colors, red, blue and green. In this use, another advantage of LEDs is evident in that the typical small size of LEDs allows their close positioning to enhance the color blending phenomenon. A simple color blending system may utilize three LEDs one of each primary color (red, blue and green) formed in a closely spaced arrangement. As the proportions of each color LED output are varied, the resulting blended color of illumination may be carefully controlled. In higher power arrays pluralities of each LED color output may be grouped or arranged as needed and controlled in a similar fashion.
Not surprisingly, the extended development and improvement of LEDs has motivated practitioners in the art to utilize such color blending LED illumination systems in a variety of devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,038 and its parent U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,774 both issued to Mueller et al. and both entitled MULTICOLORED LED LIGHTING METHOD AND APPARATUS in which an array of LEDs is controlled by a processor to alter the brightness and/or color of the generated light. Example is given utilizing pulse-width modulated signals. The resulting illumination may be controlled by a computer program to provide complex, pre-designed patterns of light in virtually any environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,661 issued to Lebens et al. sets forth a METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AN LED FLASHLIGHT in which an elongated flashlight body supports a power supply and controller together with an on/off switch. The illumination head of the flashlight supports a plurality of LEDs operatively coupled to the controller. In one embodiment, differently colored LEDs are selectively powered in groups to provide a light output color using color blending.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,789 issued to Chan sets forth a TOY SWORD HAVING A VARIABLE COLOR ILLUMINATED BLADE featuring a handle section and a translucent blade section. The handle section houses a light source for illuminating an interior of the blade section. A switch energizes the light source and a multicolored filter is disposed between the light source and the translucent blade selection to provide color selection illumination of the blade section.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,229 issued to Nadel et al. sets forth a FIBER OPTIC ENHANCED FIGURINE ASSEMBLY generally resembling a horse having a quantity of fiber optic hair disposed as the main and tail of the horse. A power source within the body of the horse energizes a plurality of LEDs which illuminate the fiber optic bundles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,937 issued to Lau et al. sets forth a TOY SYSTEM having a baton-like signal transmitter and a doll which includes an inferred signal receiver for receiving inferred signals from the transmitter. The doll produces sound such as songs or the like in response to signals received by the signal transmitter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,710 issued to Barnard sets forth a SELECTIVELY ILLUMINATABLE TOY having a housing supporting a plurality of switches, a battery power source and a plurality of illuminatable lights.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,854,542 issued to Forbes sets forth FLASHING AND DIMMING FLUORESCENT LAMPS FOR A GAMING DEVICE operated continuously during normal operation and then flashed to signal promotional operation. Alternatively, an illumination lamp may be dimmed during normal operation and then operated at full brightness during promotional activities.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,223 issued to Ho sets forth a MAGIC EYEBALL having a plurality of LEDs, a power apparatus for supplying electrical power to said LEDs and a plurality of switches which are placed under suitable parts of a toy body. By means of the touch activation of the switches the LEDs are able to emit a changeable light.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,081 issued to Wilbur sets forth ILLUMINATED GREETING CARDS having a first portion formed of sheet stock as a display panel defining one or more apertures. LEDs are disposed behind the display panel to provide illumination through the apertures. A printed circuit board controls the LEDs and the light produced thereby.
A number of additional devices utilizing some form of selective illumination is provided in additional patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,722 issued to Kite et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,742 issued to Outtrim et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,680 issued to Zaruba, U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,974 issued to Lew et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,229 issued to Spraggins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,343 issued to Rosenthal, U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,666 issued to Maleyko, U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,592 issued to Carcia, III. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,066 issued to McCowan.
Still further examples of illuminated apparatus generally related to the present invention is found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,054,778; 5,118,319; 5,139,455; 5,269,719; 5,316,293; 5,375,044; 5,575,554; 5,743,796 and 6,371,638.
Despite the substantial development of lighting devices and particularly the substantial development of illumination systems using LEDs, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for more low-cost, effective and efficient LED color blending systems which are particularly well suited to use in lower cost toys and game products.